Archive for Katie Paradis
Talking with – not at – young people about substance use
Teens and young adults using drugs and alcohol is not new. Neither is the challenge of speaking with them about the dangers and implications. However, what is changing are the substances young people are using, the ways they’re exposed to them. We’re also learning more about how drugs, alcohol, and nicotine affect growing bodies and ... Read More
To #SavePriyanshu: A father’s reach across the world to save his son
Any parent can relate: to the ends of the earth is just the beginning of how far you will go to help your child. Perhaps no one knows this better than Sagar, a father from India whose efforts to save his son stretched across the world and eventually led him to Boston Children’s Hospital. Sagar ... Read More
Navigating friendships and vaccines
With kids finally back at school and other activities after more than a year, many families now find themselves facing yet another chapter of the COVID-19 pandemic: contending with those who don’t share their views on getting vaccinated. We spoke with Erica Lee, a psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at Boston Children’s Hospital, about navigating ... Read More
A kiss from their sister: A family’s journey with cleft lip care
Kelly and Ben’s experience with cleft lip care at Boston Children’s Hospital spans multiple years and multiple children. Two of their daughters, Molly and Annie — five years apart in age — were born with an incomplete unilateral cleft lip. The couple won’t shy from admitting that receiving the diagnosis doesn’t get easier. “It’s a ... Read More
Taming reentry anxiety: How to prepare kids for a back-to-school like no other
After more than a year and a half of remote, hybrid, and home-schooling, it’s time to gear up for a return to full-time, in-person school. But for many kids, this “return to normal” comes with a unique set of concerns. Here, Keneisha Sinclair-McBride, a psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, answers questions ... Read More
A legend for Zora: How genomic testing provides answers in the face of grief
So often after a perinatal loss, parents are left with uncertainty about what caused their baby’s death and the haunting question, “what if.” To help grieving families find answers to these questions, Dr. Monica Wojcik and her colleagues in the Division of Newborn Medicine are conducting genomic autopsies to learn if and what genetic factors ... Read More
I tried the keto diet to help my epilepsy and it changed my life
My name is Dennis. I’m 15 years old and live in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. Two years ago, I started the keto diet to help my epilepsy and it changed my life. Here’s my story… I was 7 when I was diagnosed with epilepsy. I was too young to know what that really meant or ... Read More
A taste of childhood: One family’s journey to an IV-free diet
Children with short bowel syndrome often miss out on childhood’s simple and delicious pleasures, like birthday cake, pizza, and ice cream. But Dr. Lissette Jimenez and the team at the Center for Advanced Intestinal Rehabilitation (CAIR) at Boston Children’s Hospital are working to change that. Short bowel syndrome is caused by the loss or lack of function of the small intestine, ... Read More
Another shot for Conner: Getting back in the game after brain surgery
Watch Conner Hicks coach basketball at Midlakes Middle School in Clifton Springs, New York, and you’ll see a young man with a passion for the game. Talk to the players on his team and you’ll hear about a dedicated and enthusiastic role model. What you probably won’t notice is the 19-year-old’s fight with a brain ... Read More
Finding a nutrition plan that works for your family
Every day, millions of people follow specialized diets for myriad reasons. These can include religious or ethical beliefs, allergies or sensitivities, or meeting individual health goals. Be it vegetarianism, veganism, gluten-free, paleo, or “clean eating,” nutritional lifestyles can be different everywhere. While diets like these and countless others do provide health and wellness benefits, most ... Read More